Mac Pro Ultra Mini

November 14, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 22 Comments

mac_pro_ultra_mini

[Matthew] sent in this slick project where he made a Mac pro Ultra Mini. He received a MacBook that had been killed by water. He took it apart, re-soldered some connections and was able to get enough of it working to be a decent multimedia machine for his tv. To make it look nicer, he found an external drive case that looks like a tiny Mac Pro. After a little bit of grinding, cutting, and zip tying he managed to get all the pieces inside the case. We’re always happy to see hardware salvaged, and to see it transformed to a fantastic looking useful machine is a bonus. Good job [Matthew].

Scratch Input

November 14, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 29 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E8vsQB4pug]

Scratch input allows us to use solid surfaces as an input devices by capturing the sounds they produce. Using a stethoscope and a high pass filter, they capture the unique sounds of specific gestures. Custom software then translates this to actions for applications. The video shows some really cool stuff, like turning an entire wall into an input device. It goes around corners and past doorways. They even talk about potential using your clothes to capture input.

[via Procrastineering]

Improved LED Menorah

November 13, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 7 Comments

Reader [Mike] was not too impressed by design in a recent post we did on an LED menorahs. Doing what any self respecting hacker would do, he designed and built a better one then sent it in to us. He just happened to have an AVR ATtiny13 sitting around, so he used that for the brains. It has single button operation, is powered by 2 AA batteries, and even simulates the candles burning out. His custom PCB turned out quite nicely as well, the power plug connects to the batteries in a way that uses them as a base. Check out his site for detailed plans and source code. Great job [Mike].

Mutant Lab Halloween Extravaganza

November 13, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 4 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnGLCG9Nzg&feature=channel]

Take a tour of the Mutex laboratories, where mutants are made and nothing could possibly ever go wrong. [Steve] directed us to these videos of the Halloween set up he did with his son this year. Neighbor kids got to go on an action packed tour where mutants break free from their cages and have to be neutralized with special ray guns. Wow, why didn’t this guy live near us when we were kids? Check out a behind the scenes walk through with some good technical stuff after the break.

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HDDJ: Hard Drive As Rotary Input

November 12, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 24 Comments

dj_hdd

[nvillar] wanted a relatively cheap way to make a rotary input device for audio mixing. After looking at several options including turn tables and professional audio scrubbers, they decided on the hard drive due to its size, price, and the feel of the disk. The geek factor of using a hard drive as an input device probably didn’t hurt either. They provide schematics and details on how to make it all work. There’s a video after the break of the unit sending signals to a computer. No performances though, sorry.

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Pringles Can Macro Photography

November 12, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 14 Comments

macro_pringles1

Reader [Harald] sent us this sweet Pringles can macro photography hack from way back in 2005. Using a Pringles can and a standard Cannon 50mm MKII lens, they have produced some amazing results. The image above is the tip of a ballpoint pen. Not only does he go through the steps to make it, but then goes in depth on how to best set your camera and other good practices for macro photography. Pringles cans aren’t just for holding chips and making wireless antenna.

We’ve covered several macro photography rigs before, like how to do macro photography with your iPhone, or with a flip camera, and even how to build a massive laser controlled macro photography setup.

Super Nintendo Clock

November 11, 2008 by Caleb Kraft 9 Comments

[Aaron] sent us this sweet Super Nintendo Clock that he built. When he found himself with a broken SNES, a friend challenged him to out do his previous NES clock. This time, the display would be located in the cartridge, and removable. Setting the time is done on the SNES controller and seems to work pretty well as you can see in the video after the break.

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